The efficiency of the top management and the reality of the decision support systems in Saudi government organisations

Abstract

This paper discusses whether Decision Support Systems (DSS) increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government organisations of developing countries, by improving the decision making of Top Management (TM). Government organisations form the basis of developing countries’ sustainable economic and community development. Issues arise as a result of the absence of the concept of competition and profitability in the agenda of such organisations, along with deficiencies in their monitoring and accountability systems. These challenges have given TM of government organisations in developing countries complete control over decisions, along with the mechanisms and constraints of organisational activities. DSSs are believed to decrease the cognitive bias of decision-making, while simultaneously improving the quality of the decisionmaking process. This research employs Delphi methodology in relation to Saudi Arabia (i.e. the most rapidly developing economic nation) to have a discussion of the relationship between the efficiency of TM and the reality of DSSs.